Sunday, September 18, 2011

CHILD MALTREATMENT FATALITY RISK FACTORS

This is way off topic for my blog, but it is what I think about everyday at work. The rate at which children are dying at the hands of family members in this country is shameful and so unbelievable sad. The BBC just did a special about it here: BBC Special Report [http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-15288865].

So I thought I would share a guide I developed. This isn't a pleasant topic, I know, but it is an important one.

Below are some risk factors associated with higher rates of child deaths from abuse or neglect. These were drawn from a survey of literature regarding child maltreatment fatalities. The link above is to the report itself, which you should read. The points below summarizes some of the information the report contains. All credit goes to the Academy for Professional Excellence who put out the report. Who knows, blogging this might raise someone's red flag some day and lead to a timely report for a child at risk, or encourage a struggling parent to ask for help.

If any parents out there are worried about themselves and their children, and see these attributes as fitting their own circumstances, please seek the support and assistance you need right away. There are a lot of good folks and organizations who are ready to help. See the list of resources below.

(Note to others: Please don't report a family based only on the fact they have some of these attributes. That would be wrong and maybe even harmful. Reports, generally speaking, should be bases on a reasonable suspicion that a caregiver's actions or inactions have, or could have significantly harmed a child.)

RISK FACTORS:

Child Attributes:

-There is a new born infant in the home

-A child is under three-years-old (children 3 and under account for over 75% of all fatalities.)

-A child has medical, behavioral, or developmental problems

-A child is ill or handicapped

-A child was born premature

-An infant has colic

-A child is hostile, aggressive or excessively fussy

-A child has disturbed or unusual behaviors

-A child has a recent history of vomiting, reoccurring medical concerns or multiple hospitalizations

Family Attributes:

-There are two or more children under 3 years old

-Family lacks suitable child care availability

-Family is financially poor

-Children have different biological fathers

-Unrelated adults are living in the home

-Family has a history of severe or repeated instances of maltreatment

-There are multiple father figures in and out of the home

-The family has frequent moves

Caregiver Attributes:

-Lives near or below the poverty line

-Has a low education level (no high school diploma0

-Has poor stress coping abilities

-Has a history of abuse as a child

-Has had his/her parental rights terminated in the past

-Is a victim or perpetrator of domestic violence

-Has a history of violence or criminality

-Has a problem with substance abuse

-Has a deficit of skills related to parenting (including ineffective or inconsistent discipline)